


Christmas 2004

by HDea



Series: Ace in Hand [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Family, Friendship, Gen, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-08
Updated: 2014-01-08
Packaged: 2018-01-07 23:46:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1125821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HDea/pseuds/HDea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"We have an emergency on our hands.  A Christmas emergency!  Luna and Stacker want to celebrate Christmas.”</p><p><em>Oh. </em>  Her family wanted to be a family.  He didn’t know what else to say other than: “That’s nice.”</p><p>“<em>No</em>, it isn’t.  What am I supposed to do?!  Everything I know about Christmas is from watching ‘A Christmas Story’, and I’m not that irresponsible with a firearm.”  She stopped pacing the room and walked up to him, taking him by the shoulders.  “Hermann, you have to spend Christmas with me.”</p><p> </p><p>Hermann has his first Pentecost Christmas with Vanessa, Stacker, Luna, and Tamsin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas 2004

**Author's Note:**

> Posting this in January because I don't caaaaare.
> 
> This is the universe associated with my main fic Ace in Hand. Basically, Vanessa is Luna's biological daughter that was put up for adoption in the US and then adopted back when she was 14. She now goes to private school with Hermann in London because Luna and Stacker are often moving around because of the military work they do. Hermann and Vanessa are 100% platonic best friends forever.

December 2004  
London

 

“Was that worse than usual? I think it was worse than usual.”

“You weren’t even paying attention.”

“I was _trying_ not to! Mr. Hubert kept being all like ‘Ver-nissa! Wot izzy ansah?’ and I’m just like, ugh, there are so many other people in this class. Go bother someone else who doesn’t care.”

Hermann rolled his eyes at what Vanessa thought an English accent sounded like as he followed her to the cafeteria. He couldn’t tell if her attitude toward their classes was made more or less annoying by the fact that she already knew the material. He did too, but he didn’t spend the class obviously doing the homework for her other coursework.

“You could do your homework in your dorm room, like a normal person.”

“Naaaaaah. I don’t want to give people the wrong impression.” She grinned and opened the door to go outside. “Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck! Aaaaaa, whyyyy??” She kept this up as they ran across the field to get to the cafeteria.

“It is December. You know that, but you refuse to bring a coat. Why are you always surprised when you find out it’s cold?”

“Shit shit shit, FUCK.”

“Watch your mouth, missy!” The lunch lady called out.

“It’s really fucking cold out!”

“And you should be wearing a coat.”

Hermann just raised his eyebrows at Vanessa’s scandalized look as she picked up a tray and the lunch lady served them.

“You and the lunch ladies. You guys are in cahoots, aren’t you? Who are you trying to assassinate? Is it me? Why haven’t you asked me to help?”

“Why would we ask you to help us assassinate you?”

“You don’t deny cahooting!”

He just scowled and took her milk box in reply.

“I know everything about me. It’ll be the perfect crime.”

“I am convinced that you have gone daft.”

“But it could be fun. We could build a Rube-Goldberg that is so complex and unsafe that it will fall apart right after it kills me. No one would know what the murder weapon is because I would be surrounded by butter knives or something.”

“What in god’s name is a Rube Goldberg?”

“It’s a machine that is ridiculously complex and probably useless.”

“That sounds like something you would build.”

“I both resent that and am immensely flattered. You’re hired. Let’s start working on it after class.”

“No. I am _not_ building a death machine with you.”

“Aww, why not?” She frowned and ate one of the bangers on her plate. “…Oh shit, Christmas! We can build it when you come back.”

Hermann winced. Not this conversation. He didn’t want to have this conversation.

But she was back to thinking about building another machine. “What are some believable things that I would be in a room with? That’s where we should start. Like paper and pencils and a tire iron.”

“I’m not going home for the holidays.” He mumbled. Maybe if he said it quietly, she won’t make a fuss.

“And wrenches and cookies and chips – wait, what?” No chance of that. He should have known better.

“I, ah… I am not going home for the holidays.” Eyes downcast, he tried to focus on his food.

“Okay. Does that mean that we can build the Rube-Goldberg over break?”

“Don’t you want to know why?” _Everyone wants to know why._

“Do you want me to know why?” _And then when they find out that his family doesn’t even want him, they leave._

“My family –“ _What did she say?_ “You don’t want to know?”

“I don’t know, do I?” She just shrugged and continued eating. ”I just assumed that you don’t celebrate Christmas. I don’t celebrate Christmas either, so it’s kind of nice.”

“You don’t celebrate Christmas?” He said the words slowly, as though that was the key to figuring out what was happening. How was this so different than all of the others he had tried to be friends with.

“Nope.” Her answer was simple, as though she was telling a stranger that she didn’t care for the color yellow.

“Then what are you doing over the holiday?”

“Building a death machine with you.”

It shouldn’t have, but her answer made him smile.

\-----

Three days later, Vanessa crashed into his dorm room and startled him so much that the equation he was writing ended with a jagged line that crossed the entire page.

“HERMANN! We have an emergency!” He was going to have to re-write the entire problem set.

“How did you get into the boys dormitory?”

“That isn’t important. We have an emergency on our hands. A Christmas emergency! Luna and Stacker want to celebrate Christmas.”

 _Oh._ Her family wanted to be a family. He didn’t know what else to say other than: “That’s nice.”

“ _No_ , it isn’t. What am I supposed to do?! Everything I know about Christmas is from watching ‘A Christmas Story’, and I’m not that irresponsible with a firearm.” She stopped pacing the room and walked up to him, taking him by the shoulders. “Hermann, you have to spend Christmas with me.”

“What? NO. Definitely not.” _It wouldn’t be right. No no no._

“Please please please please? I can’t do it alone.”

“Just do what you normally do and make it up.”

“I can’t do that! This is super important, what if they hate me?”

“Your family hates you?”

“I don’t know!” She went back to pacing. “They might be up to something. Getting adopted might just be a long-con and they’re going to harvest my organs or something.”

“How does this make me want to spend the holiday with you?”

“Friendship is magic, Hermann!” And now she was back again, gripping his arm and pleading. “I would go with you to get your organs harvested by your parents if our situation was reversed.”

“No you would not. And if you honestly thought they were going to harvest your organs, you wouldn’t go.”

“Pleaaaaase? I need you and the two ‘n’s in your name there with me. Just in case.”

“How is-“

“I only have one n in my name, so I can’t be relied on to not mess it up.”

“That does not make any sense-”

“Neither does the second n in your name.”

“The number of any particular letter in my name is irrelevant.”

“It could be important! You don’t know.”

“I am certain.”

“Heeeeeeeermann!”

She wasn’t going to stop, was she? “How would having me there help?”

“Well, if you were there then one of us could distract them while the other runs and get help if they try to steal our organs. Or we could build the death machine and use it as a last defense against attack.” She was staring at his shirt sleeve and turning the fabric into small spirals under her fingers as she worked out possible scenarios. “Or we can talk if it gets all weird and quiet … “

_Oh._

__“Uhm… we could eat candy and watch TV if they leave? Or maybe, uhm… well…”_ _

__Now Hermann was actually looking at her. She was trembling._ _

__“Okay.”_ _

__“Really?”_ _

__“Yes, against my better judgement.”_ _

__“Thankyouthankyouthankyou.” And now she was crushing him in a hug and practically sitting on his lap to pull it off. “You are the best friend ever. Other people are so jealous of what we have. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone steal your organs.”_ _

__“I should hope not.” He meant for the words to come out sarcastic. Honest._ _

__\-----_ _

__“Should I bring them gifts?”_ _

__Vanessa grimaced and lifted her hand in a shrug. “I don’t know? I don’t think that you have to.” She scrunched her nose. “Maybe bring snacks? Nobody says no to snacks. Snacks are thoughtful.”_ _

__He nodded as they walked around the department store. Vanessa was alternating between refusing to talk about Christmas and only panicking about Christmas. Hermann wasn’t feeling much better about the holiday himself, so they were walking around stores to try and get ideas of what Vanessa should do about her upcoming family crisis._ _

__Hermann had only met the Pentecosts a few times, and always only briefly. He wanted to make a good impression._ _

__They left with a bag full of nice chocolates, but that was it._ _

__\-----_ _

__Before they knew it, it was Christmas eve. Hermann had no idea if Vanessa had managed to find a gift. When classes ended, she disappeared into her room and didn’t emerge until it was nearly time for them to go over to her house._ _

__She burst into his dorm room again holding her rolling carry-on luggage, and a large shopping bag._ _

__“Hermann! I think they’re going to be here soon, what do I do?!”_ _

__“Did you find gifts?”_ _

__“Yes?”_ _

__He stopped packing his overnight bag. “Why did you say that as though it was a question?”_ _

__“It’s either going to be the best thing ever, or a complete disaster. We might have to stage a murder-suicide.”_ _

__“It cannot possibly be that bad. What did you buy?”_ _

__“No, I’m not telling! It’s too embarrassing, I can’t do it.” She looked at her watch. “Fuck, we have to go!”_ _

__\-----_ _

__The car ride was thankfully short. They weren’t even leaving London. Luna and Stacker were in the front seats and they were asking them questions about school that seemed a little mechanical. Vanessa was tapping her fingers like she always did and all Hermann could think of was how she was worried that they were going to get their organs harvested._ _

__Where did she even come up with that idea? Was there a reason? Why had he never asked?_ _

__The house was even more uncomfortable. There weren’t any Christmas decorations. At all._ _

__“Sorry about the house being so empty still. We just got holiday leave, so we didn’t have time to do anything with the place.” That explained that. “Or buy groceries. Is it alright if we order Chinese food?”_ _

__“YES! Omigawd, British food has been killing me.” Vanessa’s excited response stopped whatever protest he was trying to come up with. It’s not that he did not like Chinese food, it’s more that he didn’t know for certain if he did._ _

__They dropped their bags off in their respective rooms and Vanessa studied the take-out menu that Luna had given her._ _

__“What would you like, Hermann?” She held up the menu for him. The options seemed _endless.__ _

__“Oh, I don’t really… err…”_ _

__“Order whatever you’d like, Hermann.” Luna insisted as she pulled up a seat to the kitchen island they were perched at. “It’s our treat, of course.”_ _

__That did not make the decision easier._ _

__Maybe Vanessa could tell how uncomfortable he was because she started quizzing him on what he wanted._ _

__“Do you like spicy food?”_ _

__“Maybe a bit?”_ _

__“Chicken or pork or shrimp?”_ _

__“Chicken.”_ _

__“Noodles or rice?”_ _

__“Either is fine.”_ _

__She frowned at the menu and tilted her head back and forth before setting it down and declaring that she was ready._ _

__They ended up ordering enough food to feed an army._ _

__The wait was thankfully short and they all dug into their food with little conversation. Vanessa pointed to a box and whispered to him “the Salt and Pepper Chicken is for you. It’s basically like Asian chicken nuggets. You should have some Lo Mein too.” He just nodded and added a small portion of each to his plate._ _

__Halfway through the meal, the doorbell rang and a short red haired woman joined them. She hung up her coat, walked over to the table and _kissed Luna on the mouth.__ _

__“Hello Love. Eating without me?” She said with a grin. “Ooh, what did you order, Vanessa?”_ _

__“Mapo Tofu. Do you want to try it?”_ _

__“Vanessa, shouldn’t you introduce your friend?”_ _

“Tamsin, this is Hermann. We’re pretty much best friends forever.” Oh. “Hermann, this is Luna’s girlfriend, Tamsin.” _Oh._

__Hermann didn’t think that he would be surprised by anything that happened this evening. He did come with the idea that there was a non-zero possibility that he was going to get murdered and have his organs harvested, after all. This was not something he had considered._ _

__And no one thought this was strange. So he tried to compose himself and held his hand out to shake. Tamsin just laughed and shook his hands before pulling up a chair and dishing out some of the Chinese food that Vanessa had ordered._ _

__“What did you say this was? My mouth is tingling.”_ _

__“It’s supposed to do that.”_ _

__\-----_ _

The rest of the evening was much more relaxed. Everything had a sort of dream-like quality to it. Everyone was so very _accepting_. Vanessa didn’t have anything to worry about because everyone was trying so hard to talk to them about anything and everything. They didn’t bat an eyelash when Vanessa said that they were building a death machine, but instead asked _how._

__When the food was cleared away and they were settled in the living room, it was time to exchange gifts. Hermann awkwardly brought out the chocolates and tried to sit out of the way. This was Vanessa’s time. This was her family. Not his. None of this was for him._ _

__She receives a book on lock picking, a set of picks, and a box full of deadbolts and locks. He already knows that this is not going to lead to anything good. _They_ even admit that they probably shouldn’t have given it to her, but they weren’t sure what else she would have liked. Vanessa is struck speechless for a bit before she practically tackles each of them for a hug._ _

__The shopping bag that Vanessa was carrying earlier is there, in the corner of the room. She drags her feet a little to get it and steels herself enough to hand out her gifts. All the same size and wrapped in newspaper._ _

__Hermann bites the inside of his cheeks and looks at his hands. This is Vanessa’s time. This was her family. _Not his._ None of this was for him._ _

__Something soft and crinkly pushes against the side of his face._ _

__And there is Vanessa, rubbing a newspaper covered package against his face._ _

__“You too, Hermann.”_ _

__“But I'm not-“_ _

__“Whatever, like I give a fuck.”_ _

__“Vanessa!” Luna warns as she looks up from the packaging of her own gift._ _

__“Damn?” Vanessa suggests and Luna hums in disapproval._ _

__Hermann gingerly took the package from Vanessa and looked at his own present. It was wrapped in color printed newspaper ads with drawn on speech bubbles coming from the mouths of the models. One speech bubble said “Hermann, it’s Christmas!!” Another said “Thanks for getting murdered with me.” Another still said “We probably won’t regret this forever.”_ _

__He only just managed to carefully peel off the tape on one end if his package before Stacker ruined the surprise._ _

__“Pajamas?”_ _

__“Heck yeah, PAJAMAS!”_ _

__“You got us all matching pajamas?”_ _

__And sure enough, it was a pajama set. A very old fashioned long sleeve button-up set. Pale blue with vertical stripes of a slightly darker shade._ _

__“Now we can do holiday slumber parties.”_ _

__“What?” It was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. None of this was making sense._ _

__“Now we have to eat popcorn and watch movies all day and play cards and stuff. That is my gift.”_ _

__Everyone was quiet for a long moment._ _

__Luna finally broke out into a grin. “I love it.” She got up and wrapped her daughter in a hug._ _

__“What movie should we watch?”_ _

__“I don't know, what do people watch in this country? We always watch Christmas Story in the US because it’s always on TV.”_ _

__They end up watching Masterpiece Mysteries on BBC, dressed in their matching pajamas, because Vanessa had never heard of Miss Marple and Hermann had never seen it or read the books._ _

__They bickered with each other about who the killer was and shushed everyone that had seen the episode before to keep the ending to themselves._ _

__Once the telly turned to something less interesting, they played cards until Hermann caught Vanessa cheating. Her only response was “Of course I’m cheating, aren’t you cheating too?” This quickly turned into Vanessa teaching them all new card games and how to cheat at them._ _

__By the time Hermann found himself falling asleep while gripping a terrible hand of card, he had forgotten that this wasn’t for him. He had forgotten that this wasn’t his family._ _

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys like this peep into Vanessa and Hermann growing up. I actually wrote the pajama portion of this fic around Christmas and didn't get around to writing the rest until today because work was cancelled due to snow. It's a Christmas miracle in January!
> 
> Also: Mapo Tofu is weird. If you've never had it before, it's spicy and tingly at the same time. You can read about it here if you don't believe me: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapo_doufu


End file.
